Giants seek consistency

One night after surrendering a pair of late goals and coming away empty-handed, the Vancouver Giants responded with their highest offensive output of the season, scoring a season-high seven goals in a 7-3 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

“Our resolve has been good coming back after a loss, we have been pretty good the next night,” said Giants head coach Jason McKee.

But if the team wants to be more than a .500 squad, flipping between wins and losses, the Giants need to string together some consistency.

Since the start of October, Vancouver has alternated wins and losses during home games at the Langley Events Centre, winning five and losing four.

The team’s only sustained success was a four-game road sweep of Alberta.

The key now becomes — with a 8-11-0-0 record as the WHL season has passed the quarter mark —stringing together some W’s.

“I think our maturity level needs to go up in terms of how we deal with success,” McKee said.

“We have to turn the page and move forward. It is a long hard grind to win hockey games and it is not easy.

“There is no secret recipe or easy path and we have to recognize that and do it on a more consistent basis.”

After surrendering two late goals against Kelowna — the Rockets broke a 4-4 tie with 3:10 to play and then added an empty-net goal to win 6-4 — the team had to put that in the rear-view mirror.

“It is hockey, sometimes that happens. You never want to let that happen especially at home, but you have to put that behind you and move forward,” said Giants defenceman Darian Skeoch, the game’s first star on Saturday after two assists and a +4 rating against his former team.

“Honestly, everyone just stuck to what worked — structure, work ethic, everything was going tonight,” he said about the difference from Friday to Saturday.

“If we play like that, we are definitely a good team and can beat any team in this league.”

The Giants are back in action with home games tomorrow (Thursday) against Prince George and Saturday versus Seattle. Both games begin at 7 p.m.

Prior to the Prince George game, Vancouver will be honouring the late Pat Quinn, who is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.